A/N: I forgot to put this in the beginning of the first chapter. I was a bit nervous that I get my very first story uploaded the way I wanted it that it totally slipped my mind. So here it goes. This particular FF contains some spoilers from DAG, other than that I'm writing this as if none of that unbelievable stuff ever happened. Bitter much Herehia? No. Just downright disappointed that's all. Not one to be ungrateful (just very disgruntled; and did I mention disappointed about DAG?) I still owe a lot to the esteemed Charlaine Harris for creating a world we can frolic in if only for a small time. Once again, all characters belong to Ms. Harris while all others are under my thrall and do my evil and sinister bidding.
***********************************************************************************
I noticed that we had just crossed into the town limits of Bon Temps. I started to relax at the thought of my warm bed and maybe even getting back to finish my weird dream I was going through before Amelia rudely woke me up. My eyes fluttered closed for what seemed like seconds.
THUNK! THUNK!
My eyes immediately popped open at the loud sound. But couldn't see what made that awful sound and I couldn't see too far out in the dark road.
"Oh SHIT", yelled Amelia. Then I could feel my body pitch forward as the car swerved to the left then fishtail and skidded off the road right into a very large pine tree with my side of the car aiming right for its thick trunk.
Chapter 2
As the car careened towards the pine tree, I had a brief moment of clarity, "Am I wearing my matching thong and bra with the lace trim… Or the Granny Panties, as Tara would say, that I sometimes throw on seeing that I haven't had any midnight visitors in the last six months or so?"
Hey I said a brief moment of clarity, but it also doesn't have to pertain to the impending peril rushing towards me at alarming speed. There's no rule book for these things… is there?
I was snapped out of my reverie albeit unrelated to my situation, by a blurred movement, too fast to register. One minute I was to become part of the tree trunk, the next, the car violently spun around as if it ran or hit an object. My seatbelt locked as a result of the car's violent movement. I struggled to keep from fainting as it dawned on me that I wasn't alone in the car. The pain I felt from my seatbelt compounded with the air knocked out of me was a lot for my human body to handle but then I finally blacked out when my head connected with my window.
I may have only fainted for a minute or two because I was now aware of our surroundings. The car came to rest, I noted, in the middle of an empty field, strange. Stranger yet, I picked up brain patterns in the surrounding area. I could hear Amelia moaning somewhere to my left as I drifted in and out of consciousness. I had another brief moment of clarity, and this time it didn't involve my unmentionables though I was still a bit worried about it. I realized I haven't told Amelia that Hunter was telepathic. Panic settled in and the feeling of dread was enough to keep me from passing out again.
Weakly I called out, "Amelia. Can you hear me? Are you ok?"
"I'm fine Sookie," Amelia's voice was much stronger than mine.
Relieved to hear she was ok. I exerted as much urgency in my voice as possible.
"Amelia. Don't ask questions. Do as I ask you right now. I promise I will tell you what I can if we get out of this alive. I need you to create a protective ward around Hunter and I also need you to put a sleeping spell on him to keep him from waking up until we can figure out what just happened. Please DO IT NOW", I emphasized the last three words slowly and as clearly as I could convey the importance of the wards.
Amelia immediately launched into a litany of phrases in Celtic, at least that was the language she told me some of the spells and wards were in. As she murmured in a low tone, I reached out with my mind to see if Hunter was ok. Thank God for car seats because he was still safely buckled in with his chubby hands still clutching his blanket to his cheek. He was fine. But as I guessed the commotion jostled him awake from his dream and his mind is just starting to wake.
"Please hurry Amelia," I pleaded.
I could read one brain pattern, vampire, fast approaching towards my side of the car. I read three more surrounding our car just out of view. Two of the three brain patterns are two-natured of some kind but the third I could not recognize. In less than a matter of thirty minutes I was bracing myself, yet again, for the worst. Welcome to my life.
I felt a presence at my window then, "Miss Sookie? Are you okay?"
Bubba!
For a brief moment the sight of my old friend gave me relief but then I remembered there were three unknown entities that could easily overwhelm one vampire, especially this one. Bubba is not like Eric who probably came out of his mother's womb with a sword in one hand and bow and arrow in the other. Ok. Where did that come from? Why am I thinking of Eric defending me? He's not even here. I haven't seen hide or hair of the Viking in months. Argh! Knock it off Sookie, I berated myself.
I noticed Amelia stopped chanting but it was not because she had finished. I quickly told her about the brain patterns I sensed and without any further prompting from me she proceeded to finish casting the spells over Hunter.
Bubba continued as if he was never interrupted, "Miss Sookie. Mr. Eric sent me to make sure you were ok. I got to your house in time to see you get in the car with Miss Amelia. So I hung out and waited for you." Well color me ungrateful. I had the grace to flush with embarrassment at Bubba's words.
I reached for my cell to make a phone call when, poof, Claudine appeared on Amelia's side of the car.
Claudine: angel-in-training, fairy godmother, fashion guru extraordinaire, guardian and my cousin.
I glanced nervously from her to Bubba, hoping my friend would not think unwisely and go after Claudine. Fairies have an intense effect on vampires. Vampires cannot resist fairy scent, especially their blood.
"Cousin," Claudine's cheery voice rang out in the clear morning air. "What have we gotten ourselves into this time? Who's the adorable kid in the backseat?"
Amelia had finished casting the wards by this time and was trying not to stare open mouthed at Claudine's outfit, as was I. You'd think I'd be used to her outfits by now.
Claudine looked like she was at a 70's Disco-themed party. She was wearing electric blue hot pants with matching sequined boob tube. She had blue glitter eye shadow that rivaled that of Mimi's on the Drew Carey show. Her thick long black hair was in ringlets. A bird of some sort with plumage in brilliant shades of reds stuck straight up from the side of her head giving her the appearance that she was taller. Not that she needed the extra inches. She is six feet tall if not taller. In her heels she was wearing I'd say she's at six foot six.
Thankfully, Bubba broke the awkward silence by saying in his best stage voice. "Why that's a mighty fine lookin' getup ya got thur Ma'am."
O-Kaaay! This couldn't get any more bizarre if you plopped a purple elephant in the middle of the field next to us.
Despite the fact that a vampire posed mortal danger to her, Claudine eagerly lapped up the compliment with much giggling and preening. I mentally shook my head wondering if for tonight Claudine and Claude switched bodies. Because this is not the Claudine I know. This fairy was acting more like her self-absorbed twin brother Claude. I guess all females, regardless of species, crave affirmation of their looks.
"Ahem!" I cleared by throat. That quickly brought Claudine back to the present.
Claudine had the sense to look abashed and addressed me, "Oh Sorry. Right then, as you were going to tell me Sookie?"
I hastily informed Claudine of the presence of three beings in the vicinity. I was concerned that they have not made themselves known, further confirming my suspicions that they were not friends but more like foe.
Claudine snapped back into the serious guardian role. Believe me that was kind of difficult given her ensemble and a bird nesting in her hair.
She started barking out orders. "Sookie you stay here. Don't move." Then pointing at Bubba, "You. Mr. Hunka, Hunka Burnin' Love, keep an eye on them. Don't let anyone or anything near them unless I say so."
Then with a toss of her mane; bird still intact, she merrily said, "Be back in a sec kids!" Poof!
Still staring at the spot Claudine occupied before she disappeared, Amelia wondered out loud in an incredulous tone, "Did the fairy just flirt with the vampire?"
Amelia turned her head to me for confirmation of what she had just witnessed. The second our eyes met we immediately exploded into a fit of laughter that quickly spiraled into out-of-control hysterical laughter. The combination of the stressful events, our near fatal accident had finally taken its toll.
Tears streamed down my red face as I desperately tried to hold on to my sore sternum while laughing and coughing at the same time. Poor Bubba was so confused and concerned with our antics he could only stare.
Meanwhile Amelia was adding fuel to the fire by holding up her hand to the side of her head; palm faced out with splayed fingers pointed up in the air mimicking the bird in Claudine's hair. I hurt all over and I was begging Amelia to stop.
"Child! What is the meaning of this?" Niall demanded. He appeared during our little crazy session and looked to me a bit perturbed.
More hysterical laughter ensued.
"Sookie?" Now I could hear Niall's serious tone. "What is going on? Why are you out in the middle of an empty field with the witch and a sleeping child in the backseat?"
I was trying to control my laughter so I can tell Niall about what had transpired but it only resulted in more laughter.
Finally, Claudine appeared next to Niall. Our laughter ceased at once when we saw the naked, bloodied body of a man lying prone at her feet. "Look what I found?" She said in a somber voice. The other two Sookie told me about were already gone."
He was a were I've never seen before. Apparently he died of his injuries, some of which could have been attributed to Amelia's car. But his fatal injuries were huge bites in this neck area which caused him to exsanguinate (word of the day last Tuesday) to death.
As soon as Claudine found the dead were, she called Niall. Both Claudine and Niall agreed this was no accident, hence Niall's perturbed demeanor when he materialized in the midst of gales of laughter when we should have been more vigilant out in the open, unprotected, despite the presence of Bubba the vampire.
Niall sent Bubba away as dawn was about two hours away. Claudine and Niall saw to it that we got home ok. Amelia's mustang fared better than we did. While Claudine tended to our injuries with enchanted fae herbs, Amelia told us that something very big with bright eyes ran across the road then felt like it purposely hit the car, hence the loud noise. Her fast reflexes kept us from rolling over but something else kept us from running into the pine tree.
Sensing that I didn't want to divulge anything about what we'd discussed with Hunter and Remy's situation, Amelia sat quietly while I explained my abridged version to Niall and Claudine. I hated omitting the more crucial part to Remy and Hunter's circumstances, but I felt that it was safer not to say anything at the time.
Niall was going to have Claudine investigate the dead were she found and report back the next night when we have had some rest. Claude was to check on us during the day. Oh joy! I can just see the look on his face when he's told he has to babysit cousin Sookie again. Before leaving Claudine beamed at me and said, "I have this, (indicating her outfit) in red and green." That was too much for Amelia and I to take. This time when we laughed the soreness was gone.
Before going to sleep, I asked Amelia to make sure that the sleeping spell she cast on Hunter stays until I woke up. I didn't trust anyone to be alone with Hunter especially when he will be waking up by himself in unfamiliar surroundings. It was a good thing I had three days off. Yes, I get to sleep in.
His lips, against my forehead, were soft. He feathered light kisses from one ear and leisurely crossed over my eyelids to the other ear.
His smooth voice reached deep into my slumber and gradually pulled me toward him like a puppet on a string. "Hey sleepy head. Wake up," he growled against my neck.
The hold of sleep and fatigue clung to my brain, but the tactile assault to all my senses was too great to resist. I have to respond. No wait, I can't wait to respond.
Despite my exhaustion, I struggled to wake up. My eyes flickered open….
Hmmm! I think I'll stop here. Is it another dream? Is it real? Who do you think our favorite telepath should wake up to. Whada ya think? Uh. Uh. Uh. Before you start typing away like the obsessed little FF fan you are, be careful who you choose though. 'Cause it may not be the reaction you're hoping for. Choose wisely Grasshopper.
**Backing away slowly** Now I'm going to get into my bullet proof vehicle and drive away. Don't forget if you want to hit something? Hit the review button. Great target practice. He-he-he!
